Harrogate voters look set to re-elect a Tory MP at next years General Election, according to the latest poll figures.

The seat has seen a 7.5 per cent swing to the Conservatives from the Liberal Democrats who held the seat until the last election, according to Lord Ashcroft’s poll of marginal seats.

The poll also found an increase in the number of people who said they would be voting Ukip next May - 16 per cent of those surveyed said they would vote Ukip, a rise of 14 points on their 2010 performance.

Almost half (45 per cent) of those surveyed in Harrogate and Knaresborough said they had received leaflets or had other contact with Ukip ahead of the County Council and European elections last month.

According to the survey, 24 per cent of Labour voters in the district and 28 per cent of Conservative voters said they would consider backing Ukip.

Harrogate and Knaresborough residents appear to be positive about the economy, with 67 per cent of voters in Harrogate and Knaresborough saying they think the economy will be positive for them and their family over the next year.

Only 18 per cent of those surveyed said they would prefer to see Ed Miliband as Prime Minister and 36 per cent said they preferred David Cameron in the job even though they were dissatisfied with his performance.

More than a third wanted to see the Conservatives in Government by themselves after the next election.

Among the 28 per cent hoping for another coalition government, those wanting a Liberal Democrat and Conservative government were ahead of those wanting a Lib Dem and Labour partnership by four points.

The Ashcroft research looked at 17 seats where the Conservatives and Lib Dems will be fighting each other at the next General Election.

The results suggest if the General Election was held now the Conservatives would hold six seats and take a further seven from the Lib Dems.

The figures were compiled after 1,000 people from the district were interviewed between June 5 and 14.